The series takes place three years after "Sudden Departure", the inexplicable, simultaneous disappearance of 140 million people on October 14, 2011. It follows a group of people from Mapleton, New York as they struggle to continue their lives while they cope with loss and the tragedy of the unexplained nature of the event.

Based on the bestselling 2011 novel by Tom Perrotta, the series focuses on denizens of the fictional town of Mapleton, three years after the fateful October 14 day when 140 million people – 2% of the world’s population – disappeared without a trace. They must begin to rebuild their lives after the loss of more than 100 people.

Rachel Watson (Emily Blunt), an alcoholic who divorced her husband, catches daily glimpses of a seemingly perfect couple from the window of her train, until one morning she sees something shocking happen there, which promises to send shockwaves throughout her life.

On the run in the year of 1987, Bumblebee finds refuge in a junkyard in a small Californian beach town. Charlie, on the cusp of turning 18 and trying to find her place in the world, discovers Bumblebee, battle-scarred and broken.